E3 is upon us once more, and it’s probably going to be one of the weirdest in a while. Publishers have been slowly bowing out of the event for a while now, putting on their own shows outside of their original time slots provided by the ESA, but 2019 marks the first year Sony joins them. It’s a sign of E3’s impending obsolescence, as more and more companies jump ship in favor of speaking directly to their consumers on their own terms. Microsoft has a lot to prove as they take center stage, while the shadow of next-gen looms over the show.
Brandon and Matt decided to dive into a discussion, giving our thoughts on the show before it gets under way, making predictions that will almost certainly be proved false in the coming days, and basically lose ourselves in the hype for another year.
Electronic Arts (EA) - Saturday, June 8th
Matt: Alright Brandon, EA is kicking things off on Saturday like usual. Maybe it’s just me but I feel like they’re usually on the lower end of our expectations and final thoughts. What are you looking for from them this year?
Brandon: Yeah, I don’t have much to look forward to from EA. The highlights for me lately has been the EA originals (I believe that’s what they call them). Sea of Solidarity and Unravel were fantastic steps towards something really neat. The creator of Sea of Solidarity tweeted out the release date so EA might not even bring it up. I’m intrigued by Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order because Respawn has a terrific backlog of games. Other than that nothing on their schedule excited me much. Also Skate 4 and Dead Space 4.
Matt: EA Originals are definitely the highlight for me, too. Unravel was such a cool surprise a few years back and I’m happy they keep pushing them, even if they’re never a big focus. I wouldn’t be surprised if they mention Sea of Solidarity offhand before bringing out whatever the next couple Originals are. With Visceral out of the picture I’m not sure who would pick up the reigns for Dead Space, but I’d definitely be down with a Skate 4.
Fallen Order is definitely going to have the biggest presence. I think it’s pretty clear at this point that EA has dropped the ball with Star Wars since they got the license, and Fallen Order feels like their last chance to prove it wasn’t a waste of time. I’m a bit disappointed that it’s yet another Jedi and lightsabers focused game (1313 was my dream Star Wars game), but Respawn are so talented (both Titanfalls are amazing) that I can’t help but have faith they’ll deliver. I need to see gameplay, though. Cinematic trailers just don’t do it for me anymore.
Random side note, but what do you think of how EA structures their conferences these days? They always have everything they’re going to talk about down to the minute, with little messages popping up to let you know “Star Wars: Battlefront II in 15 minutes!”. Kinda kills the excitement and mystery for me. No room for surprises.
Brandon: I don’t mind that format I suppose. I mean they did release their whole schedule for the event so we basically know what’s happening anyways. I’m sure they might throw a couple surprises in there, I’d be shocked if they didn’t. I believe Unravel 2 last year came out of nowhere, and I love that it released that same day.
I doubt Dead Space 4 will ever happen and honestly I’m okay with that because of the current state of the industry, but if someone picked it up and rolled it back to the survival horror roots I wouldn’t be mad at all. I never really cared about sports games sans the arcadey games like Blitz and Slugfest so that section doesn’t do anything for me. I also have no desire to play Battlefield. My hopes for EA always rely on what new IPs or concepts they are developing.
Matt: Good point with Unravel 2 and it dropping the same day, that was really cool. There probably will be a surprise or two in that case. And I’m the same way regarding the sports games; I couldn’t care less, personally, so in that sense the way they structure their conference is nice so I can plan when to get food or hit the bathroom during FIFA, Madden, etc.
So unless Fallen Order blows me away, or there’s some really strong Originals shown, I wouldn’t be surprised if EA falls on the lower half of my list for conferences this year. Which is not that out of the ordinary, unfortunately. But I’ll stay cautiously optimistic.
Microsoft - Sunday, June 9th
Matt: I think Microsoft has the most to prove this year. Since Sony’s out pretty much all the attention is on them, and they’ve already teased that they’re bringing a lot to the table. Let’s just get it into it now before everything else: next gen. Yes or no?
Brandon: Are you asking if I’m in on next gen or that they will show it? I feel like they will. They kind of have to. I don’t see it being a main focus, but enough to get people excited about it. I’d love to see what it looks like, but that might be later this year or next. I’m guessing this year the Xbox One is still their main presence, but maybe some of the games they announce are both Xbox One and Xbox One-Two. What do you think?
Matt: Sony dropping PS5 info out of nowhere earlier this year might have forced Microsoft’s hand. I wonder if they want to get the Xbox Two or whatever it’s called out before Sony, try to recoup their losses. I’m definitely expecting next gen to be there in some form, but how much I honestly have no idea. This generation is six years old, and new consoles are definitely coming sooner than later. I can’t see Microsoft putting a lot of resources into the Xbox One this late in the game, especially since they’ve already teased 14 first party games. That’d be a lot of first party just for current gen.
Brandon: Yeah fourteen games would be a lot when the next gen consoles are probably dropping late next year, I have no basis for that but would make sense. Like I said I could see some being both consoles especially if they stick with backwards compatibility. I imagine that's still the case. Maybe GamePass on the Two still plays Xbox One games as well. Either way FOURTEEN games has me excited because it’s well known that first party Microsoft games have been lacking even with Halo or Gears in the name. It seems they can never get something going in that direction, and after Crackdown 3 getting mediocre reviews they really need a win in that column. Any predictions on what they might be?
Matt: Yeah, maybe we’ll get a lot of cross-gen. That way Microsoft can have their cake and eat it too. Promises of what next-gen can do while still supporting current gen. And Game Pass will definitely support XB1 games on the XB2, I’m just going to call that now. Microsoft has been touting the whole xCloud thing for a while and how they want it on everything with a screen, maybe even the Switch.
Fourteen exclusives on top of any third party games has me really excited. Like I said, Microsoft has a lot to prove, so I’m expecting them to go ham especially after last E3 when they bought up all those studios. How many of those fourteen do you think will be new IPs versus sequels? I’m racking my of what they could show that’s known quantities. Halo Infinite for sure. Probably a new Forza Motorsport, and Gears of course. Other than that, it seems like a mystery, which has me really hyped.
Brandon: With the amount of studios they have bought in the last year or so I’m guessing a good portion are new IP’s but I could be wrong. I still haven’t gotten around to play Hellblade or much of Enslaved, but I’m super curious what the Ninja Theory* game will be. So, I’m hoping that will be announced or at least teased. I don’t think Sunset Overdrive did well enough for a sequel and Insomniac is probably working on Spider-Man 2. I’m sure Forza will be the “oh look how pretty the Xbox 2 graphics are” demo. I think Gears 5 is known so that’ll probably be shown in some quantity. Remember the Gears Funko Pop! Game? That was weird. I’m guessing we will also get the indie game highlight reel again this year, and that always has at least a couple interesting looking titles. They bought Obsidian games right or am I crazy? If so maybe some more of the game they are working on too. Fable 4? From Software? No Rocksteady though (insert super sad face here).
*Trailer leaked about 5 minutes after I typed this. I also want a million dollars.
Matt: Oh right, totally forgot Gears Five was announced at the last E3 and hasn’t come out yet. That’ll definitely have a presence then. I wonder if Halo Infinite will be a next gen title or at the very least cross gen. Would be a strong launch title and way to get people pre-ordering the XB2.
From Software could be there. There are rumors of them making an open world RPG with George RR Martin attached (not like he has anything better to do) and since Sony is out I would expect Microsoft’s stage to be where it makes its debut. Dark Souls III was at Microsoft’s conference, too, so there’s already a precedent for it. And yes, they did buy Obsidian, and they’re working on an exclusive for either the XB1 or XB2. I’m not convinced we’ll see anything more than a tease if at all though since they’re still working on The Outer Worlds. Regarding Forza, if it does happen (it will), it’ll be an “off” year for me and end up being Motorsport 8 instead of Horizon 5, so aside from there being more very pretty cars it likely won’t do a whole lot for me. I always lean more towards arcade than simulation when it comes to racers.
My out of left field but not really prediction is that we see Cyberpunk 2077 being the poster child for next gen. We already had gameplay last year, but this would be CD Projekt Red’s chance to double down and really hammer home the potential of more powerful hardware and what it can do beyond just prettier visuals. CP2077 looks ambitious as hell, even for that studio, so I hope we get something.
Also, a new Fable should happen. I wasn’t a fan of the third game, and Lionhead being shuttered is incredibly unfortunate, but I can see another studio taking over and rebooting the series.
Brandon: I agree. We know Microsoft’s known quantities but I’m definitely more excited for the unknown. I never watched the Cyberpunk 2077 gameplay but all I heard was how amazing it looked so maybe we get more gameplay on the stage. The only other possible showing is whatever Bethesda is working on for the next gen, but I’d imagine that will be shown during Bethesda’s conference. I think if Microsoft just needs to show as much as they can with the right wording to really get the Xbox Two off on the right step. They have been making all the right moves lately so hopefully they keep it going.
Any predictions on how many times were hear the word “Exclusive”? I’m thinking at least 201 times. What’s the next conference?
Matt: EXCLUSIVE. WORLD PREMIERE. BETHESDA.
Bethesda - Sunday, June 9th
Matt: Remember that Doom game? That was pretty cool.
Brandon: Doom is one of, if not the best, FPS games I’ve ever played. I have been avoiding watching much coverage on Eternal because I enjoyed going into Doom blind. Just give me more of that and I’m good. What else besides Doom Eternal do you think we will see? I’m sure the Wolfenstein spin-off and some Fallout 76 content / road map. Any more info on the next Elder Scrolls?
Matt: Todd Howard has already come out and said we’re not getting any Elder Scrolls VI or Starfield. I guess they just wanted to get them out there last E3 so people would stop asking about them, but they both seem like a ways off, next gen for sure.
I imagine Doom Eternal will be Bethesda’s big priority, although I’m not expecting anything from it to really flip the script. More guns. More metal. More demons to explode. All of which is completely fine by me, since Doom 2016 was such a pleasant surprise and a blast to play. Eternal could just be another 10 or so hours of Doom and I’d be perfectly content. I’m starting to hit a point of needing a new FPS to sink my teeth into and Eternal would be the perfect candidate for that.
Otherwise, another round of mobile stuff, Elder Scrolls Online, etc. will get its moment on stage. That stuff seems to be really successful for Bethesda so no reason for them to stop now. And yeah, I think Fallout 76 has to be at least mentioned. They need to keep fans updated on how they’re going to turn that ship around. Abandoning it wouldn’t be a good look. I haven’t been following the game that closely since launch but I don’t think it’s completely dead?
Brandon: I just need Doom and a crazy metal jam session. Speaking of abandoning things remember Anthem? (Perfect transition to Ubisoft)
Matt: Ah yes, Ubisoft, proud publishers of Anthem.
Ubisoft - Monday, June 10th
Matt: How many dancing pandas are we seeing on Monday?
Brandon: If the number is only lower than 5 then this press conference is failure and I refuse to accept any other opinions.
Well, I’m sure we get Division 2 post launch DLC info. I haven’t followed anything on that game so I have no clue what that really means. Skull and Bones got pushed back but maybe we see something on that. Watch Dogs: Legion was leaked and the concept sounds rad. I thought the first one was fine, skipped the second, but I am curious to see how this one plays out. Do you think we get a glimpse at what the next Assassin’s Creed is? Even though it’s not until next year. What else does Ubisoft do? Far Cry 6? Mario and Rabbids 2?
Matt: People shit on it but I honestly like the Just Dance segments. It brings some levity and goofiness to the trade show that can be refreshing, and Ubisoft is always happy to provide it. Now they just need to bring back Aisha Tyler (even though Yves is a delight).
The Division 2 is a damn good game, even if a bit generic. They dodged the problems the first game had in terms of content, so anything they announce here will be expansion on a solid foundation rather than trying to get that foundation built after release. Skull and Bones has been on my radar for a while; I loved the ship stuff in Assassin's Creed III and Black Flag, so a whole game dedicated to that system always sounded awesome. I want to start a damn pirate crew and fight other pirate crews and be the best pirate crew of them all. It sucks that it was pushed back, but you're right that we could still see some sort of update at least.
I bet Watch Dogs Legion will be the centerpiece of Ubisoft's show. I'm pretty sure we're not seeing anything Assassin's Creed related, which side fine by me considering we got back to back releases the last two years. Watch Dogs 2 was a pretty phenomenal game considering how lackluster the first was; it definitely got the Assassin's Creed to Assassin's Creed II treatment. The story actually ended up being the best part. The characters were endearing and it pushed anti-capitalism and other themes you don't see a lot of in major publisher releases. My main issue was the juxtaposition of young hackers trying to stick it to the man in nonviolent ways being thrown out the window whenever you regained control and gunned down a dozen enemies. It makes me wonder if the main gimmick of Legion, being able to control any NPC in the game, is a way to get around that moral weirdness.
I'd be surprised if Mario + Rabbids 2 wasn't a thing. Ubisoft and Nintendo have been tight for generations at this point and Mario + Rabbids was the ultimate culmination of that. And it was a huge success to boot. No reason not to keep that train going.
Brandon: I feel like Ubisoft has a lot of things we know about or IP’s they might just be expanding on with a sequel or DLC. Besides what we’ve talked about the elephant in the room is Beyond Good & Evil 2, right? Do you think we get some more information on that? Maybe a trailer or quite possibly a release date.
Matt: I definitely think Beyond Good & Evil 2 will be there, but I doubt we’ll get a date. That game still feels like it’s years away, most likely next-gen. If anything I think we’ll get more insight into what the hell that game exactly is, because I still don’t really know. Maybe it’ll be how Ubisoft closes out the show? Either way, I’m intrigued by Ubisoft but nothing they have necessarily is pushing it towards the top of my hype list.
You are correct about Ubisoft’s roll out of games. They’ve gotten into a groove of releasing a wave of games and then supporting them with post-release content for years and it seems to be doing really well for them. It makes for maybe less big surprise announcements during their conferences but I can’t fault them at all for how they’re running things. They’re one of the best in the industry when it comes to updating, patching, and adding new stuff to their games.
Brandon: Also most likely a Splinter Cell game coming out. That could be pretty cool. I haven't played many but there concepts were really neat. I'm curious to see what a current gen SC looks like.
Matt: Splinter Cell was like the one game that didn't pan out from last year's massive Walmart Canada leak. Seems like it was probably pulled from the show at the last second, but it's strange we haven't heard anything on it since. Possible development issues? Or maybe it's been made for next or cross gen and could be their Watch Dogs style showing of what the next consoles are capable of. Would be a fitting closure to Ubisoft's conference, considering how long fans have been clamoring for a new entry in the series.
Ubisoft is kind of the wild card, I think. They usually are. I never have super high expectations for their show, but I’ve come away from them pleasantly surprised and excited on more than one occasion, Hopefully they do it again this year.
Square Enix - Monday, June 10th
Matt: I feel like this is the first year in a while that Square actually has one of the most anticipated shows of E3. Between Avengers and (likely) Final Fantasy VII Remake, they have some serious heavy hitters to show off.
The recent details floating around about Avengers has my interest piqued, although not to say I wasn't already hyped before. A proper console level game capitalizing on the popularity of the MCU that isn’t just a quick mobile cash-in is what I've been hoping for since Iron Man in 2008. It’s kind of weird that Square Enix would end up being the one to help deliver it, but I'm not complaining. Apparently the game is blending campaign storytelling with co-op play, which isn't that surprising considering the entire basis of the Avengers is that, well, they're a team. You’ll play in be groups of up to four, customize your heroes’ cosmetics as well as their abilities to suit your own playstyle, and there’s a promise of "continuous" gameplay which I can only imagine is code for service gaming like Destiny or The Division. What's your interest level at currently?
Brandon: I’m excited for a lot of what Square is working on. Avengers being one of them. The leaked details make it sound neat and anything superhero related I'll give a shot. Square also has Kingdom Hearts 3 DLC and that Platinum game Babylon’s Fall, which I believe is out this year, and of course the game we truly deserve: The Quiet Man 2!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Matt: I’m genuinely curious how successful, if at all, The Quiet Man was for Square Enix. Still blows my mind that they dropped Hitman but then gave that monstrosity an actual time slot in their last E3 show. The Quiet Man 2 would be the most 2019-ass thing we could hope for, so we’ll probably get it, and I’ll play it because I hate myself.
Totally forgot about Babylon’s Fall. It’s the same team that did Nier Automata, right? If that's the case, sign me up day one. Platinum has proven on numerous occasions by this point that they're one of the best when it comes to action, and clearly they're no slouch in the writing and storytelling department either.
Brandon: To be honest, I’m not sure regarding Babylon’s Fall but I’m excited either way. We’ve only seen a cinematic trailer, but Platinum has a wonderful track record. Maybe we get a World of Final Fantasy 2? That’d be cool. I don’t know a lot of other franchises from Square that I’m hopeful for. Tomb Raider is probably done for a while. Anything else, or you ready for Nintendo?
Matt: Only thing that really stands out for me is the Final Fantasy VII Remake. It’s hard to believe it’s already been like four years since it was first announced, and we’re only just now getting more concrete information on it. I’m sure Avengers is going to be the primary focus of Square’s show, but I really hope we get a better idea of what we can expect from this remake. Giving a new generation of game players a chance to experience one of the most influential RPGs of all time is exciting in it’s own right.
Square honestly has the potential to be a top 3 show for me this year, alongside Microsoft and, well…
Nintendo - Tuesday, June 11th
Matt: Nintendo’s going to be an interesting one this year, I think. A few weeks ago I would have assumed Pokemon Sword & Shield would take up a meaty chunk of their direct, but if they’re willing to put that information out there beforehand in a separate presentation, that means they have to be pretty confident in what they have for E3, right?
Brandon: Yeah they have said what they are talking about already, but I'm sure we will get some surprises though. Here's hoping for some Pokemon ports and TCG on the switch.
Matt: Speaking of ports, I wonder if we finally get news on SNES games for the Switch online service. Even at $20 annually I feel like I kind of wasted my money with how little value they've provided for the service. I booted up the NES library on that thing once, played a level of Super Mario Bros. 3, and then never opened it again. SNES games would go a long way to making it feel worthwhile, though there’s still plenty more they could do too. So many of that system's games would lend themselves incredibly well to a mobile platform.
Brandon: I've had the service for about four months and have done nothing with it. SNES games would change that. I'd even be ok with it being GBA games. That library is incredible and there really isn't an easy way to play them. That's probably a far fetched dream though.
As far as new game I feel like the Switch is continuously getting a more impressive library. I think Animal Crossing is what I'm least excited for but happy it's being made. I want to see something Metroid related and I think a Prime Switch port would be amazing. Other ports you want? Super Mario Galaxy, Luigi's Mansion?
Matt: The GBA low-key has one of the best libraries in the entire industry. I'd genuinely love to revisit it, but you're probably right that it's a pipedream and SNES games alone is probably already pushing it. I'd love to be proven wrong though. I’m still dreaming for the day Nintendo just says “fuck it” and gives us a true successor to the Wii virtual console complete with NES, SNES, N64, GameCube, Wii, Wii U, GB, GBC, and GBA games. I want to play the entire Nintendo library on one platform, dammit.
Since Pokemon has already been pushed out of the way, Animal Crossing is the most obvious pick for what they dedicate the most time too. I absolutely adore Animal Crossing; it's the video game equivalent of comfort food. It's relaxing and almost therapeutic to check in once a day, take care of some errands and check in on the townsfolk. It's one of those formulas Nintendo wouldn't have to change up at all and I'd still be there day one. You should definitely give this one a try, it might be better than you expect.
As for any other ports, basically anything on the Wii U that still hasn't made its way over. I never owned a Wii U and missed out on pretty much all of it's big releases. Tokyo Mirage Sessions is the big outlier for me that hasn't made its way to the Switch yet, but considering it's pretty niche I'm not holding out hope that it makes the jump. There's no way the Metroid Prime trilogy remaster isn't happening, it's just a matter of when at this point. I feel like we expected to see it at the last two Nintendo events and it was MIA. This could be the perfect time for it since Metroid Prime 4's development was rebooted and we probably won't be seeing it for a while. Oh, and a proper Super Mario Galaxy 1+2 remaster on Switch would be a dream. Some of the best platformers ever made and the fact that they're still Wii only games is criminal.
Luigi's Mansion 3, Link's Awakening, and Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3 are all set to be playable on the show floor, so there's already plenty of impressions to expect. Anything out of left field or surprising you think we'll get out of Nintendo this year? A "one more thing" maybe?
Brandon: Maybe the one more thing is Super Mario Galaxy 3, which would be amazing. That or Pokemon Snap 2 or a new 3D Pokemon game ala Stadium or Coliseum. A lot coming out this year already so they would probably just be teases for next year. Last question: who's next for Smash Ultimate? And why is it not Banjo Kazooie?
Matt: I do wonder if it's time for another Mario. Odyssey is almost two years old now. Obviously Super Mario Maker 2 is out soon, but I could see a "proper" Mario hitting this holiday. Maybe not another fully fledged 3D adventure, but something smaller scale like a New Super Mario Bros or 3D World.
In that same vein, I would love a new 2D Metroid game. Something smaller scale that isn't just a remaster to tide over fans while they wait for Prime 4. Something to maybe expand on the story post Super and Fusion, which has been a story thread left bare for 17 years now, which is pretty insane when you think about it.
My real, hard prediction for Nintendo's surprise unveil or "one more thing" is them finally, FINALLY showing us what the hell Retro Studios has been working on for the past 30 years. I'm starting to lose count of the number of E3s and other Nintendo events in which I expected to see Retro and ended up leaving disappointed. This has to be the year. Again.
Sakurai said that Nintendo is choosing all of the DLC fighters and Joker was first, tying in with Persona 5 Scramble. They could continue that trend of fighters that both work well in Smash and also synergize with whatever product they have coming to Switch. Microsoft and Nintendo have been pretty friendly recently, and Phil Spencer has been very open about wanting to do more with Nintendo in the future. Banjo in Smash (and maybe a new game?) would be a pretty fun thing for them to team up for.
Brandon: Did you ever try the 3DS Metroid? I heard only good things and might satisfy that itch. Dude, I forgot about Retro. I hope we see what they are doing even just a tease or logo. Confirmation that they are doing something. Either way Nintendo has a lot of cards in the deck and I can't wait to see what decide to show.
Matt: I still haven't gotten around to Metroid 2 on the 3DS. Some Metroid fan I am, huh? It's one of those things where if I had easy access to a 3DS I probably would have played and finished it by now, but it just keeps sliding further down the list as other stuff comes up. I'd honestly even take a port of that to Switch, even if it wouldn't be my ideal new 2D Metroid.
Nintendo has a weird habit of having off and on years. 2017 was bombshell after bombshell, whereas 2018 was Smash Bros Central and not a whole lot else. I'm not expecting another 2017 level showing, but maybe something in between the last two E3s. There's a lot we already know about that I'm excited for, and the possible surprises put it up there with Microsoft as the show I'm most looking forward to.
Sony - ???
Brandon: I still think Sony will have some sort of news to put out there. I think it’d be crazy if the only thing they put out this season is a Death Stranding date. I wonder if they will try to break up the news cycle and put something out after the conferences. I don’t think a PS5 release as they will probably have their own event for that. Last of Us 2 release date maybe?
Matt: They do have their State of Play streams now, so they maybe a The Last of Us 2 release date in one of those? They did insist they wouldn’t have anything during or around E3 like EA and Bethesda do, but I suppose they could backpedal on that. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be surprised if we get a dedicated PS5 event later this year.
Sony has been in a weird place lately. Google and Microsoft have been out there talking up cloud based gaming. Microsoft and Nintendo are cozying up and doing more projects together, all of which are incredibly consumer friendly in a way that Sony has been severely lacking in lately. It almost feels like they took such a massive lead with the PS4 that they went into cruise control and players kind of suffered for it. Reminds me of the PS2 to PS3 transition, when Sony’s hubris ended up being a major blow to their success in that generation. I wonder if we’ll end up seeing another situation like that as we lead into the XB2 and PS5 generation.
Either way, the show is almost upon us now, and I can’t wait for literally everything we said and predicted here to be proven wrong in mere hours.
Happy E3!
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